Atomization/vaporization of substances is well known for aromatherapy, respiratory therapy, or for smoking activities. While combustion of a solid or liquid substance is one method for production of gas/vapors for inhalation, non-combustion or limited combustion vaporization is also known. This is accomplished though the heating of a selected substance to a temperature at which it undergoes phase change into a gas with no chemical reaction or with different chemical reactions than the basic oxidation/decomposition of hydrocarbon substances into CO2 and water. One known way to so vaporize a substance is to heat a tool until it is of the desired temperature, and then removing it from a heat source before introducing the material which is to be atomized/vaporized. This process allows the material to go though a phase change, called atomization/vaporization instead of being combusted through ignition. Substantial research has established that the atomization/vaporization process is a much healthier, cleaner alternative to combustion.
This invention is intended for any use, limited only by the user's imagination, but its main purpose is for the process of atomization/vaporization of materials. As stated in other patents and shown by the large demand for personal atomizers/vaporizers, there is to date a shortage of well-engineered personal atomizers/vaporizers which are simple to understand and use. Even though there are patents for other devices which accomplish solely vaporization, all of these patents differ in engineering and appearance as well as material and functional properties.
The problem which this invention addresses is the lack of good technology in the industry for simple effective vaporizing/atomizing of essential oils and other solid or liquid substances. All technology to date either employs glass vials which must be screwed into an adaptor and heated up to vaporization temperature, which does not allow continuous use as the users must wait for each to cool down after use before replacing this one used individual glass vial; limiting the efficiency with which the essential oils can be vaporized/atomized.
Another prior art invention relating to this product is a titanium “nail” which is designed to heat up like this product however it requires separate glass adaptors to fit different size water vessels. Such products also require an adaptor, called a “glass dome/oil globe/vapor globe,” which must be removed in order to heat the titanium part and again placed on top of another glass adaptor, with the titanium “nail” in-between, in order to use essential oils.
This prior art titanium “nail” has a flat surface on which the essential oils are placed and vaporized. The vapors must then be directed around the outside of the titanium nail by the glass adaptors and funned down into the correctly sized water vessel.
A need exists for an efficient and revolutionary vaporizer with a self-contained “domeless” function which streamlines and simplifies the process. Users of such a “domeless” device would continue to heat the titanium nail portion and enjoy essential oils without having to remove/replace or unscrew any glass adapters or holders. The user also would enjoy the added ease of not having a “dome” to remove, to heat and then replace.
Other vaporizers use the same type phase change as the atomizer/vaporizer described herein, although other prior art inventions are all limited to vaporizing certain and specific materials. Through exhibiting different processes as well as separate structural engineering, this invention has distinct technology and is able to atomize/vaporize a greater variety of material. Examples of these other devices include:                U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,982 to Reed, Jr., Oct. 2, 2001        U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,301 to Pate, Jun. 26, 2001        U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,153 to Kessler, et al., Aug. 1, 2000        U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,083 to Burruss, Jr., Dec. 1, 1981        U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,771 to Love, Jan. 25, 2005        
Though other patents accomplish vaporization, the manufacturing process, designs, as well as functional properties are far from equivalent to this invention.
This invention allows user to enjoy aromatherapy and the vaporization of essential oils without any additional containers, top adaptors or catchments systems which all other systems require, while maintaining a most efficient center column for the vapors to travel through. This product is simply heated and the particulates or essential oils are applied or entered from the top open environment for use. This simplifies the entire process for aromatherapy and the atomization/vaporization of particulates or essential oils.